A Road Less Travelled

People ask me all the time “So, what do you do?” I never know how to answer them. There is the response “Um, I’m an aunt”, but most people won’t understand that. I could say “I am an assistant home-maker”, but that doesn’t quite sum it up either. I struggled with my answer every time someone asked this very simple question. And then there was this Wednesday. In many ways this particular Wednesday is the point that I look to when I need to be reminded of what in the world I am supposed to be doing in Peoria. The day started with me taking Seth, my brother, to work. I came home and made breakfast so Crystal, my pregnant sister-in-law, could sleep a little more. Then I went to the house of a family in my local church. She is pregnant with their sixth child and her husband was in Germany for the week. She had a doctor’s appointment and I was there to stay with the children. I stayed until she got back and then continued to stay while she ran out to get some food for lunch. After lunch she had to go back out to pick up a prescription for one of her sons who had a sinus infection. After she was back for good I went home and found Crystal kneading dough for pizzas. She was supposed to be napping. Using the powers I didn’t think Seth would mind me usurping I ordered her off to bed and finished the dough. I then got a call from a woman in the church whose husband went out of town just in time for three out of four children to get sick. Her two year old son was having problems with his ears and she was asking for some advice. I have had lots of problems with my ears and so I had some remedies she might try. I offered to run some oil of oregano over to her, but she said she would try what she had first. I don’t remember what I did at this point, but pretty soon it was time to pick up Seth and away I went. When we got back home we were met by Crystal who said that the woman who had called before called again and she did not sound at all good. I grabbed the oil of oregano and away I went again. When I got to her house her son was just flopped on the sofa. He is usually up and bouncing around, but he just sat there. I helped her put the oil in his ear and she walked him as it soaked in. I was walking the baby. While we paced and talked he quieted and then he asked if he could go watch the movie that was on. His mother seized this chance to sweep her dining room floor and have some real live conversation with someone older than ten. After about fifteen minutes she looked into the living room. Her eyes teared up and she said, “Oh, he’s dancing.” And sure enough this little boy was bopping along just about good as new. By the time I left he was running in circles. It took me most of the next day to put what I was feeling into words. Mostly because I couldn’t remember the one word I wanted to use. When I finally found it I repeated it to myself every few minutes so I wouldn’t lose it. The word was ‘vindicated’. Here I am living a life I have the worst time expressing or explaining and here comes this day that just sums it up. I am here to be a helper to the helpmates in my community. I am here to go play with some children so their mother can take a shower. I am here to go sit and talk with the lonely woman who lives all alone. God gave me this day so I could hold onto it and I could see a place for me. I still haven’t figured out how to express this to others who ask me, but I wonder if my answer should start “Well, there was this Wednesday…”

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I am sitting in front of a computer screen agonizing over the perfect first post to this blog. Technically Gabrielle wrote the very first post, but this is my first post, and as such should properly convey my personality, blogging style, and approach to the universe. You can see why I want it to be perfect. There’s just one problem–I don’t know what to say. I’m excited about the idea of starting a blog, but it makes me a little nervous too. I’m crawling out of my corner, because you can’t just post on a blog by smiling and nodding. I know I have something to write, because I already have notebooks full of writings–some of them are even applicable to this blog. But I don’t usually let people read what I’ve written. If I really think something is good I’ll let a few friends read it. Now I’m about to start writing on a blog that a lot of strangers might read. On purpose. (I’ll be writing on purpose that is–though presumably they will be reading on purpose too…)

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Hello, this is the very first post on my very first blog. Exciting, isn’t it? Raquel and I started this blog because we thought we might have something to say about life without college. I live with my brother’s family and my official ocupation is “Aunt”. Raquel lives in a similar situation. We didn’t go to college. We don’t plan on going to college. And many, many people think this is strange. So here I am, writing about my life. Writing about a life lived according to what I think the Bible says to single, young women. And let me tell you something, this life can be pretty weird sometimes. There was this time Samuel, the 3 year old, climbed on top of… but no, that can wait for next time.

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